“Mulan” Disney+ Movie Review by Brooke Daugherty : Pop Culture Leftovers

“Mulan” Disney+ Movie Review by Brooke Daugherty

September 13, 2020 9:48 am |

*To save her ailing father from serving in the Imperial Army, a fearless young woman disguises herself as a man to battle northern invaders in China.*

When Disney announced they would be making a live action version of Mulan, many people were in an uproar. Some because characters changed, others for fear the film would be whitewashed. Walt Disney Pictures and screenwriters Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin came through with a film that both honored the spirit of Ballad of Mulan as well as the 1998 animated feature.

When we first meet young Mulan in live action, she chases a chicken onto a roof much to the dismay of her entire village. The only person even remotely proud is her father, until he realizes it wasn’t honorable for a young lady. Crystal Rao plays young Mulan in a couple scenes, but still gives a great performance. Tzi Ma (Man In the High Castle, The Farewell) plays Mulan’s father, Hua Zhou, with another great performance. Mulan’s mother, Hua Li, is sternly yet lovingly portrayed by Rosalind Chao who Trekkies may know as Keiko O’Brien.

Liu Yifei is great as Mulan-her fighting skills and up close work really convey Mulan’s struggles. Instead of Li Shang from the 1998 animated film, we get Donnie Yen playing Commander Tung. As always, he kicks butt while adding some mentorship without the problematic romantic undertones. For those who miss Li Shang’s attraction to Mulan, enter the adorable Yoson as Chen Honghui, a co-recruit of Mulan who makes the same googly eyes at her the entire movie. During training, one of the commanders says “I’ll make men out of every single one of you,” harkening back to the song “I’ll make a Man Out of You” from the cartoon.

Jason Scott Lee portrays charismatic Rouran leader Bori Khan, based on Shan Yu from the animated film. Gong Li plays Xian Lang, a shapeshifting witch who is an ally to Bori Khan. We get a cameo from Jet Li as The Emperor of China. He has been noticeably absent from film in recent years, thankfully his youngest daughter convinced him to take it. He mostly sits on a golden throne and gives orders, but he does get do a bit of fighting.

While none of Director Niki Caro’s setups are particularly groundbreaking, they are still well done at conveying the story. She mixes beautiful wide sweeping shots with more upclose intimate scenes.

Caro and her team did do an excellent job showing Chinese culture with elaborate sets and gorgeous costumes. The presentation of loyal, brave, true, and devotion represent the long time values of China’s people.

Although it is about war, this film is for the most part family friendly. If you allow your children to watch superhero movies, Mulan is more friendly. Paying $29.99 for this film on top of a Disney+ subscription, might not be your cup of tea, but if you have a subscription and can wait until it is released, watch it when you can.

Mulan on Disney+ is not a musical and characters have been changed from the 1998 film, but it still honored the spirit of Ballad of Mulan as well as the animated feature.

PCL Rating: High Taste It

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅